iTunes France TV job; .Mac refresh rumor; NYC shortages return

Apple is hiring for an iTunes TV show manager in France, confirming an upcoming rollout. Also, rumors have surfaced of a .Mac update to match new iPhone software; shortages of the device have returned to New York City; and mentions of free AT&T Wi-Fi have disappeared once again from the carrier's web pages.

Apple seeks manager for TV shows in France

Apple on Friday posted a new job opening for the Head of iTunes TV in France, whose job it will be to acquire rights to shows for the local version of the online store.

The listing doesn't provide clues as to when Apple will reveal the store, but confirms recent rumors that suggest iTunes France will be one of the next national stores to receive a TV section as soon as this month, following previous international developments in Canada, Germany, and the UK.

These earlier reports suggested the store will launch with content from close Apple partner Disney as well as EuropaCorp and Paramount, mixing both foreign and local programming.

Major .Mac overhaul cued to iPhone 2.0?

Stoking rumors ahead of the Worldwide Developer Conference, TUAW now claims that Apple at the June event may make significant changes to its .Mac online service in tune with the widely anticipated release of the iPhone 2.0 firmware update.

With changes suggested by the alleged source, .Mac would be put on par with Exchange and include a full wireless sync that updates calendars, contacts, and e-mail messages as they are added or deleted on other computers.

The service will also add sync for platform-agnostic data with Windows, according to the claim.

The site doesn't have a definitive track record for leaks but notably claims to have images of push e-mail support for .Mac, which would deliver mail in near real-time as with many Exchange servers.

iPhone drought returns to New York City

Confirming Apple statements that forecast a continued shortfall in iPhone stocks, Gizmodo now says that Apple's West 14th store in New York City's Meatpacking district has been without iPhones for the entire week.

At the time, a clerk at the store also added that it was uncertain when Apple would resupply the store, an observation which AppleInsider has since confirmed with its own checks at the outlet.

Multiple estimates by analysts as well as separate rumors have pointed to the longstanding shortages as a likely sign of Apple winding down production of the current-generation model ahead of a switch to a future model.

AT&T pulls references to free iPhone Wi-Fi

Just a day after posting details on its website, AT&T has withdrawn all references to free Wi-Fi access for iPhones on the phone's product website at the carrier.

No explanation is given for the withdrawal, which echoes a similar pattern this weekend in which the company first enabled and then disabled a web-based portal that provided unrestricted wireless to owners of the Apple phone with a valid AT&T phone number.

The project is generally believed to hinge on more Starbucks locations converting from T-Mobile to AT&T for their Wi-Fi access points.